Today I changed out my air filter. Frickin tough job considering all the hoses I had to detach and reattach to the stock air box.

Here's the freaky part...
When detaching the large top hose that runs back toward the firewall (see pic), I noticed that where it connects to the metal pipe seemed loose. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the hose was not connected well at all. It came out easily and that's when I saw it! There was a short piece of brown fiberglass (?) tube that the hose was obviously supposed to tighten down on - but it was broken. I'm guessing it was crushed when someone tightened the hose onto it - a long time ago by the looks of it. ABOUT A 1 BY 2 CENTIMTER PIECE OF IT WAS MISSING!!!!! I can only guess it was sucked somewhere into the engine.

The car runs fine and this must have happened a long time ago (many months?).

What do you all think about this?
Where does this pipe lead to?

 

Or it was dropped on the ground and cracked then.
I once found a small crimp clip in the bottom of my intercooler. If your turbo did suck it in, you will find scaps of it in the IC.

 

That is your secondary turbo inlet pipe. If something went through there it got chewed up by the turbo and probably trashed the compressor wheel.

 

Yea, it would have gone into your sec turbo and trashed the compressor wheel...if it made it further than that it probably only made it to the ic. If it made it to the engine I don't think the engine woudl be running too long at all.

 

if it is small and partially flamable then it probably was burned up and passed through. i accidently dropped a propeller seed into the cylinder on my gf's maxima when changing the plugs once. i know, different animal, but i always wanted to pull the cat and see if it incinerated or gooed to the cat.

 

WTF is a propeller seed????

 

What EVER it was, it got minced.

I'd take the rear turbo inlet pipe off and inspect the turbine if I were you.

 

PROPELLER SEED???

 

I can't believe noone else knows what a propeller seed is. It's got a sunflower seed sized seed on one end, and about a 1.5" "wing" on the other. When they fall out of the tree, they spin around like a... propeller, or a helicopter. Does that clear it up for anyone?

 

If you plant the propeller seed it will grow a windmill.

Seriously though it is a maple tree seed. I think any Canadian can vouch for that fact.

 

i guess its a midwest only seed. i thought everyone knew about propeller seeds. omg, i'm a freak. no, i tell you what. i'll get a friend to use a digital camera and get a pic of one. maple trees should start flying them here soon, i think.

 

they come from pinecones in NC. I used to eat em as a kid lol.

 

They are maple tree seeds.. we have um here 2

 

I had the same problem with mine but I broke the Fenalic peice with the inlet pipe out. Check your rear turbo then go to Home Depo Performance and find a pvc coupler that will fit cut it to size and just sand the edges down good for better flow. It is a tight fit but works good. or use this as an excuse to buy the polished pipes like I did, since Mazduh wants $180 for that rubber pipe!!!! It's your choice $.87 Home Depo Performance or $180 Mazduh.

 

You're all freaks! My turbo could be toast and you're wasting my (and everyone's) time with arboreal banter.

Thanks to those who tried to stay on topic.

 

Sorry about getting side-tracked about those seeds
Mine had the same problem, and my second turbo is shot.

 

So, how difficult would it be to remove the secondary turbo inlet pipe for a quick visual inspection?

 

It's not too bad. Two nuts on the compressor and a bolt near the Y-pipe. It's all the other crap you have to take off to get to it that makes it a PITA.

 

You wouldn't be able to see the blades though, or at least I don't think so. Just wouldn't be able to get an angle to see it.

 

You should be able to see them with a mirror. you could definitely "feel" the damage.